The present invention relates generally to isolation techniques in integrated circuits, and in particular to shallow trench isolation techniques having materials of low dielectric constant for use in the development and fabrication of integrated circuits.
Implementing electronic circuits involves connecting isolated devices through specific electronic paths. In integrated circuit fabrication it is generally necessary to isolate adjacent devices from one another. They are subsequently interconnected to create the desired circuit configuration. In the continuing trend toward higher device densities, parasitic interdevice currents become more problematic, thus isolation technology has become a critical aspect of contemporary integrated circuit fabrication.
A variety of successful isolation technologies have been developed to address the requirements of different integrated circuit types such as NMOS, CMOS and bipolar. In general, the various isolation technologies exhibit different attributes with respect to such characteristics as minimum isolation spacing, surface planarity, process complexity and defect density generated during isolation processing. Moreover, it is common to trade off some of these characteristics when developing an isolation process for a particular integrated circuit application.
In metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) technology it is necessary to provide an isolation structure that prevents parasitic channel formation between adjacent devices, such devices being primarily NMOS or PMOS transistors or CMOS circuits. A widely used isolation technology for MOS circuits has been that of LOCOS isolation, an acronym for LOCal Oxidation of Silicon. LOCOS isolation essentially involves the growth of a recessed or semi-recessed oxide in unmasked non-active or field regions of the silicon substrate. This so-called field oxide is generally grown thick enough to lower any parasitic capacitance occurring over these regions, but not so thick as to cause step coverage problems. The great success of LOCOS isolation technology is to a large extent attributed to its inherent simplicity in MOS process integration, cost effectiveness and adaptability.
In spite of its success, several limitations of LOCOS technology have driven the development of alternative isolation structures. A well-known limitation in LOCOS isolation is that of oxide undergrowth at the edge of the mask which defines the active regions of the substrate. This so-called bird""s beak (as it appears) poses a limitation to device density, since that portion of the oxide adversely influences device performance while not significantly contributing to device isolation. Another problem associated with the LOCOS process is the resulting circuit planarity or lack thereof. For sub-micron devices, planarity becomes an important issue, often posing problems with subsequent layer conformality and photolithography.
Trench isolation technology has been developed in part to overcome the aforementioned limitations of LOCOS isolation for submicron devices. Refilled trench structures essentially comprise a recess formed in the silicon substrate which is refilled with a dielectric material. Such structures are fabricated by first forming micron-sized or submicron-sized trenches in the silicon substrate, usually by a dry anisotropic etching process. The resulting trenches typically display a steep sidewall profile as compared to LOCOS oxidation. The trenches are subsequently refilled with a dielectric such as chemical vapor deposited (CVD) silicon dioxide (SiO2). They are then planarized by an etchback process so that the dielectric remains only in the trench, its top surface level with that of the silicon substrate. The etchback process is often performed by etching photoresist and the deposited silicon dioxide at the same rate. The top surface of the resist layer is highly planarized prior to etchback through application of two layers of resist, and flowing the first of these layers. Active regions wherein devices are fabricated are those that were protected from etch when the trenches were created. The resulting structure functions as a device isolator having excellent planarity and potentially high aspect ratio beneficial for device isolation. Refilled trench isolation can take a variety of forms depending upon the specific application; they are generally categorized in terms of the trench dimensions: shallow trenches ( less than 1 xcexcm), moderate depth trenches (1-3 xcexcm), and deep, narrow trenches ( greater than 3 xcexcm deep,  less than 2 xcexcm wide). Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) is used primarily for isolating devices of the same type and is often considered an alternative to LOCOS isolation. Shallow trench isolation has the advantages of eliminating the birds beak of LOCOS and providing a high degree of surface planarity.
As the minimum feature size achievable in semiconductor manufacturing decreases, the capacitive coupling between adjacent devices becomes a significant impediment to achieving higher performance. To counteract such increasing capacitive coupling, designers and engineers have been looking for ways to reduce the capacitive load. Some designers have used polyimides in place of the SiO2 with limited improvement of STI. However, SiO2 remains the most widely-used filler material for such trenches.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternative insulating materials and methods of their use in an integrated circuit.
Embodiments of the invention include apparatus utilizing cells of gaseous components in trench isolation of active regions in a substrate, as well as methods of forming such apparatus. The cells of gaseous components may be formed as in a foamed polymeric material, a cured aerogel or an air gap. The cells provide lower dielectric constants than many widely-used trench filler materials, such as SiO2, and thus improved values of capacitive coupling. In the case of foamed polymeric materials or cured aerogels, the matrix provides mechanical support while approaching the dielectric constant of free space.
For one embodiment, the invention provides an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a first active region formed in a substrate, a second active region formed in the substrate, and a trench formed in the substrate and interposed between the first active region and the second active region. The trench contains cells of gaseous components.
For another embodiment, the invention provides an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a first active region formed in a substrate, a second active region formed in the substrate, and a trench formed in the substrate and interposed between the first active region and the second active region. The trench is filled with a foamed polymeric material.
For yet another embodiment, the invention provides an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a first active region formed in a substrate, a second active region formed in the substrate, and a trench formed in the substrate and interposed between the first active region and the second active region. The trench is filled with a cured aerogel.
For a further embodiment, the invention provides an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a first active region formed in a substrate, a second active region formed in the substrate, and a trench formed in the substrate and interposed between the first active region and the second active region. The trench is filled with an air gap.
For one embodiment, the invention provides a method of isolating a first active region from a second active region in an integrated circuit device. The method includes forming a trench in a substrate, wherein the first active region is on a first side of the trench and the second active region is on a second side of the trench. The method further includes filling the trench with a polymeric material and foaming the polymeric material.
For another embodiment, the invention provides a method of isolating a first active region from a second active region in an integrated circuit device. The method includes forming a trench in a substrate, wherein the first active region is on a first side of the trench and the second active region is on a second side of the trench. The method further includes filling the trench with an aerogel material and curing the aerogel material.
For yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method of isolating a first active region from a second active region in an integrated circuit device. The method includes forming a trench in a substrate, wherein the first active region is on a first side of the trench and the second active region is on a second side of the trench. The method further includes filling the trench with a polymeric material, defining additional structures in the integrated circuit device, and removing the polymeric material.
For a further embodiment, the invention provides a method of isolating a first active region from a second active region in an integrated circuit device. The method includes forming a trench in a substrate, wherein the first active region is on a first side of the trench and the second active region is on a second side of the trench. The method further includes filling the trench with a first fill material and defining additional structures in the integrated circuit device. The method still further includes removing the first fill material and filling the trench with a second fill material.
Further embodiments of the invention include integrated circuit devices and methods of varying scope, as well as apparatus, devices, modules and systems making use of such integrated circuit devices and methods.